Versus Debate

Versus Debates are topics in which fans discuss the strength of two or more characters relative to one another, specifically pertaining to which one would beat the other in a hypothetical fight.

Overview

Speculation over who could beat who exists in fandoms of all sorts, with some communities, such as the Comic Book Universe Battles, being entirely devoted to such subjects. When closely moderated and handled objectively they can be as interesting a form of character analysis as any other. However, due to the emotional investment some fans place in such debates, they can easily degenerate into flamewars as fans simply choose to defend their favourite character rather than approach the subject in an unbiased manner.

Within the context of Zoids fandom, "Versus Debates" as they are known, are somewhat pervasive. The Iguan Meme, which came out of the ZoidFans mailing list and its habit of answering questions (especially repetitive or arbitrary ones like "which Zoid is the strongest") with simply "Iguan", began to be applied to Versus Debates as well. Phenotype's Zoids forum outright banned these discussions to prevent any heated debates.

Common Debates

Liger Zero vs. Blade Liger

Easily the most common Versus Debate is Liger Zero vs. Blade Liger. As the protagonists of the first two Zoids series, it is not entirely unexpected that such a debate would occur. This topic can be viewed as a general extension of the New Century vs. Chaotic Century mindset that existed in the early days of Western Zoids anime fandom, and was also likely fueled by the canon rivalry between the Liger Zero and the Red Blade Liger in the New Century anime.

Though Bit, Van and their Ligers have never encountered eachother in canon, in Zoids: Battle Legends, the raw stats for both Bit Cloud and the Liger Zero outclass those of Van Flyheight and the Blade Liger.

Berserk Fury vs. Geno Breaker

Probably the second-most frequently discussed Versus Debate in Zoids fandom is Berserk Fury vs. Geno Breaker. This debate would appear to be another natural outgrowth of the greater New Century vs. Chaotic Century debate. With the two Zoids (and their pilots) bearing a superficial resemblance to eachother, it was inevitable that comparisons between the two would be made.

Canonically, this debate would appear to have been settled in some fashion in volume 14 of the Zoids: Chaotic Century manga, which depicted a fight between a Berserk Fury and a Geno Breaker, with the former easily destroying the latter. The Battle Story also states the Berserk Fury to be superior overall to the Geno Breaker, with firepower being the only real concession given by the former to the latter. However, such debates usually tend to center around the anime.

Most Powerful Zoid?

The question of which Zoid is the most powerful is subject to intense debate. The biggest obstical in determining this is due to the fact that the Zoids franchise has more than a single continuity, which contradict eachother and have different standards of power. A Zoid that was neigh unstoppable in one continuity may be portrayed as a common, low-level cannonfodder Zoid in another. Stats that are applicable to one universe (such as the battle story) may not conform to what is seen in another, (such as the anime.) Another problem is the utter lack of consistancy within the various continuities themselves. For example, the Death Stinger's charged particle beam wavers constantly between "makes explosions visible from orbit" to "kicks up a bit of dust". Even the "Official Stats" can't seem to stay consistant.

Overall, the true answer to which Zoid really is the most powerful is that it's the one Tomy is currently trying to sell you.